History YMMV / Rainman

* {{Glurge}}: Despite the general [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments positive]] [[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel reception]] of the movie and Creator/DustinHoffman's great Oscar-winning performance, for many autistic people, the movie's much more {{glurge}}-y than anything else. The simplistic portrayal of autism in the movie and the way it's used as a plot device to teach the "neurotypical" protagonist not to be a {{Jerkass}} make it guaranteed Flame Bait on many autistic support forums.
** That this film [[FranchiseOriginalSin created a trend in Hollywood]] for self-consciously sympathetic and tearful films about InspirationallyDisadvantaged, which turned into one of the most negative examples of OscarBait before too long, exacerbates this fact.

* TearJerker: Raymond revealing to Charlie why he got sent to the institution- he saved Charlie from being burned by hot bathwater when he was just a child, but his father mistakenly thought that Raymond had tried to burn him on purpose. Raymond was unable to speak up for himself due to his disorder, and his father never found out the truth as a result.

* The letter from Charlie's father to his son. He sounds worn out and lonely, knowing that his son's lousy relationshiip and personality is unchangeable and probably his own doing, and that all there is left between them is the inheritance and some best wishes.
* ValuesDissonance: When the doctor in charge of Raymond tells Charlie about Raymond's diagnosis, Charlie asks if Raymond is mentally retarded and later in the movie, Charlie yells at Raymond for his autistic behaviors and tells him to "stop acting like a fucking retard!". When the movie was released in the 1980's, the word was considered fair game to use, and the movie portrays Charlie as [[{{Jerkass}} completely in the wrong]] for using it. Nowadays however, the term is considered much more offensive, especially in the United States (to the point where the term "mental retardation" has been replaced in the scientific vernacular with terms like "mental impairment," "mentally disabled," and "Intellectually Challenged/Disabled").

** Furthermore, Creator/DustinHoffman plays a character with autism spectrum disorder despite not having autism, the movie is retroactively receiving backlash for having a neurotypical actor cast as Raymond Babbitt instead of an actor with autism spectrum disorder (although in fairness, Leslie Lemke [[CastTheRunnerUp initially was in mind to play Raymond.]])

* BrokenBase: The film's portrayal of Autism Spectrum Disorder, especially to modern audiences; some consider it a positive and sympathetic portrayal that does a good job capturing the ups and downs of the condition, especially compared to earlier portrayals, while others, especially autistic viewers, feel that it still carries an uncomfortably ablest undercurrent and deride it for perpetuating and popularizing the "autistic savant" stereotype.

* TearJerker: Raymond revealing to Charlie why he got sent to the institution- he saved Charlie from being burned by hot bath water when he was just a child, but his father mistakenly thought that Raymond had tried to burn him on purpose. Raymond was unable to speak up for himself due to his disorder, and his father never found out the truth as a result.

** Furthermore, Creator/DustinHoffman plays a character with autism spectrum disorder despite not having autism, the movie is retroactively receiving backlash for having a neurotypical actor cast as Raymond Babbitt instead of an actor with autism spectrum disorder (although in fairness, Leslie Lemke [[CastTheRunnerUp was initially was in mind to play Raymond.]])

* BrokenBase: The film's portrayal of Autism Spectrum Disorder, especially to modern audiences; some consider it a positive and sympathetic portrayal that does a good job capturing the ups and downs of the condition, especially compared to earlier portrayals, while others, especially autistic viewers, feel that it still carries an uncomfortably ableist undercurrent and deride it for perpetuating and popularizing the "autistic savant" stereotype.

* ValuesDissonance: When the doctor in charge of Raymond tells Charlie about Raymond's diagnosis, Charlie asks if Raymond is mentally retarded and later in the movie, Charlie yells at Raymond for his autistic behaviors and tells him to "stop acting like a fucking retard!". When the movie was released in the 1980's, the word was considered fair game to use, and movie portrays Charlie as [[{{Jerkass}} completely in the wrong]] for using it. Nowadays however, the term is considered much more offensive, especially in the United States (to the point where the term "mental retardation" has been replaced in the scientific vernacular with terms like "mental impairment," "mentally disabled," and "Intellectually Challenged/Disabled").

* BrokenBase: The film's portrayal of Autism Spectrum Disorder, especially to modern audiences; some consider it a positive portrayal that does a good job capturing the ups and downs of the condition, especially compared to earlier portrayals, while others, especially autistic viewers, feel that it still carries an uncomfortably ableist undercurrent and deride it for perpetuating and popularizing the "autistic savant" stereotype.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Decades after it was new, the [[AnAesop Aesop]] that neurodivergent people are as human as everybody else is this. In 1988, it was a case of SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: While "neurodivergent people are still just as human as everybody else" seems obvious nowadays, it was a radical message when the movie debuted.

* DesignatedVillain: Dr. Bruner might come across as this. Although Charlie [[TookALevelInKindness does show that he truly cares for his long-lost brother, for good and bad]], let's not forget that he at first took Raymond from Wallbrook and offered to return him for half of their father's fortune. Dr. Bruner, meanwhile, has known Ray for more than two decades, and [[StrawmanHasAPoint even tells Charlie that his brother won't be able to make decisions and live a life of his own]]. To top it off, Wallbrook has a good track record in caring for people like Ray; if it didn't, his parents wouldn't have sent him there for most of his life. About the worst thing Dr. Bruner does is to offer Charlie $250,000 for his trouble if he sends Ray back and forgets the whole thing.

* DesignatedVillain: Dr. Bruner might come across as this. Although Charlie [[TookALevelInKindness does show that he truly cares for his long-lost brother, for good and bad]], let's not forget that he at first took Raymond from Wallbrook to get his half of the money. Dr. Bruner, meanwhile, knew Ray for more than two decades, and [[StrawmanHasAPoint even tells Charlie that his brother would be unable to make a decision and live a life of his own]]. To top it off, Wallbrook wouldn't have had many problems in taking care of Raymond.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Perhaps due to autism being better-known these days, some people (even autistic people) find the movie pretty unremarkable (that is, if they don't outright hate it, as noted above) despite the hype alongside TheRainman stereotype.

* ValuesDissonance: When the doctor in charge of Raymond tells Charlie about Raymond's diagnosis, Charlie asks if Raymond is mentally retarded and later in the movie, Charlie yells at Raymond for his autistic behaviors and tells him to "stop acting like a fucking retard!". In defense, the movie was released in the 1980's, when the word was considered fair game to use, and movie portrays Charlie as [[{{Jerkass}} completely in the wrong]] for using it. Nowadays however, the term is considered much more offensive, especially in the United States (to the point where the term "mental retardation" has been replaced in the scientific vernacular with terms like "mental impairment," "mentally disabled," and "Intellectually Challenged/Disabled").

* {{Anvilicious}}: Decades after it was new, the [[AnAesop Aesop]] that people with non-normal brain chemistry are as human as everybody else is this. In 1988, it was a case of SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped.

* FairForItsDay: The movie is criticized nowadays for introducing the stereotype that all autistic people have savant skills, and for giving out a strict criterion for autism portrayals when the condition is, in reality, loosely defined and highly variable from person to person beyond base commonalities. However, mainstream awareness of autism owes much to this film, and it [[GenreTurningPoint opened the floodgates for introducing sympathetic portrayals of mentally challenged characters in media.]] According to the book ''Literature/NeuroTribes'', the movie also helped the general population become much more sympathetic towards autistic people, as the movie gave them a basic understanding of the condition.

* BrokenBase: The film's portrayal of Autism Spectrum Disorder, especially to modern audiences; some consider it a positive portrayal that does a good job capturing the ups and downs of the condition, especially compared to earlier portrayals, while others feel that it still carries an uncomfortably ableist undercurrent and deride it for perpetuating and popularizing the "autistic savant" stereotype.

* FairForItsDay: The movie is criticized nowadays for introducing the stereotype that all autistic people have savant skills, and for giving out a strict criterion for autism portrayals when the condition is, in reality, loosely defined. However, mainstream awareness of autism owes much to this film, and it [[GenreTurningPoint opened the floodgates for introducing mentally challenged characters in media.]] According to the book ''Literature/NeuroTribes'', the movie also helped the general population become much more sympathetic towards autistic people, as the movie gave them a basic understanding of the condition.
* {{Glurge}}: Despite the general [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments positive]] [[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel reception]] of the movie and Creator/DustinHoffman's great Oscar-winning performance, for many autistic people, the movie's much more {{Glurge}}-y than anything else. The simplistic portrayal of autism in the movie, and the way it's used as a plot device to teach the "neurotypical" protagonist not to be a {{Jerkass}} make it guaranteed Flame Bait on many autistic support forums.

* NightmareFuel: ''Any'' time Raymond freaks out.
** Charlie tries to force Raymond to go on a plane, even after he insists that there's a real risk that it'll crash. But just before they board it, Ray screams bloody murder and hits himself on the head repeatedly, and it's absolutely ''terrifying'', which forces Charlie not to take the plane. There is some TruthInTelevision to this; compulsive, stereotyped motions known as "stimming" are common among individuals with ASD as a means of venting stress, and while most cases of it are fairly benign (if odd-looking to a neurotypical person), in some rarer and more extreme cases it can indeed include self-harming behaviors such as striking oneself on the head.
** "HOT WATER BURN BABY!"

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Perhaps due to Autism being better-known these days, some people (even autistic people) find the movie pretty unremarkable (that is, if they don't outright hate it, as noted above) despite the hype alongside TheRainman stereotype.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: While "Mentally-Challenged people are still just as human as everybody else" seems obvious nowadays, it was a radical message when the movie debuted.

* TearJerker: Raymond revealing to Charlie why he got sent to the institution- he saved Charlie from being burned by hot bath water when he was just a child, but his father mistakenly thought that Raymond had tried to burn him on purpose. Raymond was unable to speak up for himself due to his disorder, and was sent to the mental institution.

** Even worse, it's implied that had Raymond been given a chance, he would have been able to be higher-functioning person who could live without assistance.

* ValuesDissonance: When the doctor in charge of Raymond tells Charlie about Raymond's diagnosis, Charlie asks if Raymond is mentally retarded and later in the movie, Charlie yells at Raymond for his autistic behaviors and tells him to "stop acting like a fucking retard!". In defense, the movie was released in the 1980's, when the word was considered fair game to use. Nowadays however, the term is considered much more offensive, especially in the United States (to the point where the term "mental retardation" has been replaced in the scientific vernacular with terms like "mental impairment," "mentally disabled," and "Intellectually Challenged/Disabled").

* ValuesDissonance: When the doctor in charge of Raymond tells Charlie about Raymond's diagnosis, Charlie asks if Raymond is mentally retarded and later in the movie, Charlie yells at Raymond for his autistic behaviors and tells him to "stop acting like a fucking retard!". In defense, the movie was released in the 1980's, when the word was considered fair game to use. Nowadays however, the term is considered much more offensive, especially in the United States(to the point where the term "mental retardation" has been replaced in the scientific vernacular with "mental impairment").

* ValuesDissonance: When the doctor in charge of Raymond tells Charlie about Raymond's diagnosis, Charlie asks if Raymond is mentally retarded and later in the movie, Charlie yells at Raymond for his autistic behaviors and tells him to "stop acting like a fucking retard!". In defense, the movie was released in the 1980's, when the word was considered fair game to use. Nowadays however, the term is considered much more offensive, especially in the United States, where it's treated as the ableist equivalent of the n-word (to the point where the term "mental retardation" has been replaced in the scientific vernacular with "mental impairment").

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: During filming, Creator/DustinHoffman was unsure of the film's potential and his own performance. Three weeks into the project, Hoffman wanted out, telling Creator/BarryLevinson, "Get Creator/RichardDreyfuss, get somebody, Barry, because this is the worst work of my life." Hoffman would nab his second Best Actor Academy Award for his work.

* HarsherInHindsight: Following the poker scene, Charlie lets Ray in on a secret: "Kmart sucks". Come this decade, and slowly but surely the Kmart stores slowly began to close up - with less than 400 stores remaining.

** Charlie tries to force Raymond to go on a plane, even after he insists that there's a real risk that it'll crash. But just before they board it, Ray screams bloody murder and hits himself on the head repeatedly (which is something an autistic person might do when they're scared or nervous), and it's absolutely ''terrifying'', which forces Charlie not to take the plane.

* ValuesDissonance: When the doctor in charge of Raymond tells Charlie about Raymond's diagnosis, Charlie asks if Raymond is mentally retarded and later in the movie, Charlie yells at Raymond for his autistic behaviors and tells him to "stop acting like a [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] retard!". In defense, the movie was released in the 1980s when the word was considered fair game to use the word "retard", the term is considered much more offensive nowadays, especially in the United States, where it's treated as the ableist equivalent of the n-word (to the point where the term "mental retardation" has been replaced in the scientific vernacular with "mentally impaired").

* ValuesDissonance: When the doctor in charge of Raymond tells Charlie about Raymond's diagnosis, Charlie asks if Raymond is mentally retarded and later in the movie, Charlie yells at Raymond for his autistic behaviors and tells him to "stop acting like a [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] retard!". In defense, the movie was released in the 1980s when the word was considered fair game to use the word "retard", nowadays watching the movie on DVD or TV or streaming may be jarring considering that the term is offensive.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Perhaps due to Autism being better-known these days, some people (even autistics) find the movie pretty unremarkable (that is, if they don't outright hate it, as noted above) despite the hype alongside TheRainman stereotype.

* {{Glurge}}: Despite the general [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments positive]] [[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel reception]] of the movie and Creator/DustinHoffman's great Oscar-winning performance, for many autistic people, the movie's much more {{Glurge}}-y than anything else. The simplistic portrayal of autism in the movie, and the way it's used as a plot device to teach the "neurotypical" protagonist not to be a {{Jerkass}} make it guaranteed FlameBait on many autistic support forums.

* DesignatedVillain: Dr. Bruner might come across as this. Although Charlie [[TookALevelInKindness does show that he truly cares for his long-lost brother, for good and bad]], let's not forget that he at first took Raymond from Wallbrook to get his half of the money. Dr. Bruner, meanwhile, knew Ray for more than two decades, and [[StrawmanHasAPoint even tells Charlie that his brother would be unable to make a decision and live a life of his own]]. To top it off, Wallbrook wouldn't have had any problems in taking care of Raymond.